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Mothercare: One-Stop Shop for Mothers in Cairo

Published On:
12/03/2011

Mothercare has been stocked for over 40 years with everything that expecting mothers can possibly need. From maternity, baby and children’s clothes to nursery furniture, this British specialized retailer is a well-established name in 44 countries throughout the world.

A good thing is that the Cairo branch in Citystars doesn’t disappoint in terms of the label’s quality standards, but the prices don’t live up to Mothercare’s appeal as an affordable retailer. While the cotton products are pure and the plastic items and baby furniture are certified safe, their prices are a bit exaggerated.

Luckily, promotions do take place every season, with sales reaching up to 80% off on select items, making them cheaper than other competitors. However, items on sale aren't always in their best state.

Newborn apparel comes in different sets, such as cotton white t-shirts in packs of three or five (around a 100LE each). A whole section is dedicated to shoes and socks starting from size zero. Clothing designs often follow seasonal themes like Christmas.

Mothercare is always prepared with a sufficient stock of sizes and colours. The shop offers sizes starting from one-day-old babies up to ten-year-olds. While boys’ clothes are more or less limited to the classic or casual t-shirts (ranging from 100LE to 300LE), girls’ choices are almost endless: from colourful printed tops to formal or day dresses (300LE).

For expecting mothers, there’s a whole section for every kind of maternity wear. Although this section seems to be small and cluttered, it features loose-fitting tops and dresses, as well as maternity lingerie and printed, one-piece swimwear (170LE).

Besides the varied and tempting clothing choices, the nursery furniture section is the most eye-catching part of Mothercare. Items like the 4000LE-rocking crib come labelled with its international certifications that ensure the material and safety of the product. With necessities like a crib, feeding chair or a Mothercare or Chicco stroller, everything that a baby will need around the house can be found at this store.

In the end, it is the trusted guarantees of safety and high quality of products – even if it means at a high price – that make Mothercare a trusted shopping source for mothers and their children in Egypt.

Benetton is known
the world over for funky colourful fashions and in-your-face politically
charged ad campaigns. Established near Venice in
1965 by the Benetton family, the Italian brand has now grown to nearly 6000
stores in 120 countries, including Egypt. The label’s
branch in City Stars may put some off due to its association with high price
tags, but Benetton is actually one of the more affordable international brands in
the mall. Well, let’s rephrase that– it
is possible to find a few items that are on the lower end of the spectrum,
though the higher end is still also their friend. We liked their
jeans: at around 230LE to 260LE for a decent pair of denims made of
thinner-than usual material, we don’t think they’re half-bad. The ‘in’ style of
super-slim cut may not be for everyone (certainly not us); so their fit may be
another story. We’re hoping next season’s styles are more forgiving. Apart from jeans,
the store offered some cute tops in the range of 120LE to 160LE, though
admittedly they were limited and kind of basic. One brightly coloured see-through
chiffon short-sleeve top that caught our eye was going for around 435LE–
unfortunately more than we could bear. Basic
evening and office dresses were in the range of 200LE to 300LE, with some
approaching 400LE, while the more elegant office wear fell in the 400LE-plus
range, including tailored trousers, white shirts and well-fitted jackets. We really wanted
to buy something but in the end nothing stuck– an affordable pink plaid shirt
was just not cute enough and sadly, the jeans were too tight on the bottom and
too loose on top (who’s shaped like that?). We also eyed some funky luggage and skimpy swimwear, but weren’t in the
market for either, though you might want to include them in your next search
for vacation gear. Overall, we were
pleasantly surprised at not feeling completely derelict while walking into
their store, and they’re a definite option if you need something sharp, stylish
and not absurdly expensive.

Following in the footsteps of even the most cosmopolitan cities, the Cairo shopping scene is fast evolving and welcomes more and more designer names to our colossal shopping malls. Aspiring to cater for shoppers of all ages, Citystars have recently seen the opening of Burberry Children.

Founded in 1856, Burberry has expanded from their staple trench-coats and outerwear to full clothing lines, including entire collections dedicated to children. Quintessentially British, the brand is well-known for its high quality and even higher prices. Both the exterior and interior is much like any other of their branches; shiny, immaculate and well organised, but with mini manikins sporting the latest looks.

The shop is spacious and split into two sections, with the front half offering clothes for children aged one to five years, and the back for between five and fourteen years. Although intending to offer flawless customer service, as soon as we entered the shop, we were followed closely by one of the many members of smartly dressed staff, which actually made for an uncomfortable and claustrophobic browsing session.

With an air of seriousness, a child-size table in the middle of the shop boasts several iPads, in order to occupy children so parents can pick out their outfits in peace. Alongside this, many of the rails are hung at adult height, and whilst many of the clothes are more demure than fun, it is obvious that the intended audience is in fact the adults, not the children.

Their autumn collection has been designed using warm colours such as deep purple, burnt orange and browns, as well as slightly brighter, but modest, pinks and greens. Many of the items feature the signature Burberry print, including full chequered shirts, button up cardigans (995LE), the turn-ups on boys’ jeans (1100LE) and girls’ leggings, whilst other garments sport clear but subtler logos. We also spotted striped rugby shirts (915LE) for boys, chequered day dresses for girls (1755LE) and soft novelty tops for little ones (535LE). Gift boxes for newborns are also available (1350LE) and include an all in one jumpsuit, a hat and a Burberry chequered bib. A large range of smart coats and jackets are also available for both boys and girls; wax jackets, down-filled puffers, woollen pea coats and duffles. In the way of shoes, bags and other accessories, little to none were available.

Modelled by the likes of Romeo Beckham, the clothes are admittedly both incredibly chic and smart. Despite this, considering how fast children grow, the prices at Burberry Children may seem utterly ridiculous to the average Egyptian, let alone thoroughly impractical for everyday use. However, if you’re searching for something for a very important occasion, or a gift for someone special, Burberry is unlikely to disappoint.